Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Minnesota State Representative Erin Koegel for her incredible work serving in the Minnesota legislature.

I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Representative Koegel during my time serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and I quickly learned how thoughtful, dedicated, and strategic she is when it comes to serving her constituents.

For decades, Representative Koegel has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of everyday people, passing landmark transportation legislation to invest in roads, bridges, and transit, expanding worker protection for pregnant and breastfeeding Minnesotans.

Mr. Speaker, my belief in co-governance is made possible through my colleagues at the State and local level, and Representative Koegel has been a great partner in this work. I look forward to seeing the positive impact of her work for the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Community- University Health Care Center (CUHCC) as it breaks ground on a new facility and celebrates 60 years of service to South Minneapolis.

CUHCC is the oldest Federally Qualified Health Center in Minnesota and the only one in the state connected to an academic health center. Each year, CUHCC serves more than 12,000 patients through over 54,000 visits. They provide whole-person care that looks at both medical needs and the real challenges people face, including income, access, and other barriers to staying healthy. CUHCC has built strong trust in the community by making care accessible and respectful for everyone.

CUHCC is also a leader in training future healthcare workers. Nearly 200 students and residents learn there each year across many fields. This helps grow a workforce that understands the needs of the community. As the need for care continues to grow, CUHCC is expanding. The new building will be twice the size of the original space and will include services like a pharmacy, imaging, and physical therapy in one place. This will make it easier for patients to get the care they need. The new facility will also allow CUHCC to serve 6,000 more patients while continuing to provide compassionate, trauma-informed care.

We thank CUHCC for 60 years of service and look forward to the continued impact they will have on the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the grand opening of Southside Community Health Service's state-of-the-art facility, Southside East Lake Street Clinic.

Southside Community Health Services is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides affordable health care to all, regardless of ability to pay. Founded in 1971, Southside has a 55-year history of serving the diverse community of South Minneapolis and nearby communities. Over that time, they have earned national recognition as a top-performing community health center and, in 2025, were further recognized for exceptional patient outcomes. These awards reflect Southside's strong record of delivering high-quality care and an ongoing commitment to improving health outcomes for individuals and families.

Building on this foundation, the new East Lake Clinic will serve thousands more patients and bring all primary care services under one roof. Designed with a trauma-informed, healing-centered approach, Southside East Lake Street Clinic reflects collaboration between patients, providers, and the community. The new space will provide more exam rooms and the option for evening and weekend hours to better meet patients' needs. The space will also include additional services such as X-ray and mammography, as well as a flexible community area.

Southside remains grounded in a mission to improve healthcare access and outcomes by delivering high-quality care, reducing barriers, and supporting healthier communities. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the grand opening of Southside East Lake Street Clinic and the expanded access to high-quality care it symbolizes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this Republican effort to funnel another $70 billion to ICE and CBP to continue their inhumane, illegal, and reprehensible actions.

This effort is even more incomprehensible considering it comes after Trump and congressional Republicans already created an $85 billion slush fund for ICE during the last budget reconciliation process.

In my district, ICE has used the money to terrorize Minnesotans, particularly our Black and Brown communities, through Operation Metro Surge. We watched in horror as ICE agents murdered our neighbors, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in broad daylight. We witnessed our neighbors being snatched off the street and pulled from their homes and cars without a warrant. We saw dozens of children ripped away from their families, friends, and schools, shipped to detention centers out of State.

Our communities are still recovering from that devastation caused by the Federal occupation and the blatant trampling of the rights we as Americans hold dear. We cannot send this rogue and unaccountable agency another cent.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Dave Bicking, a south Minneapolis small business owner and a lifelong community activist.

Dave dedicated his life to advancing justice and advocating for meaningful policing reform in Minnesota.

From 2008 to 2010, he served on the City of Minneapolis Civilian Review Authority, where he worked tirelessly to improve police accountability.

He joined Communities United Against Police Brutality, helping the organization reform police training standards through the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training.

After a fire burned down their facility in 2012, Dave stepped up and bought them a new facility that continues to house multiple activist groups today.

Dave will be remembered for his generosity, commitment to peace and justice, and deep love for his family, friends, and community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today not just as a Member of Congress but as someone who knows the human cost of war, what it takes, what it destroys, and what it never gives back.

We are already seeing thousands of civilians killed and wounded in Iran and in Lebanon, American servicemembers lost, and millions forced from their homes with nowhere to go. This is what war looks like, and it is only the beginning. Yet, this war of choice happened without Congress, without accountability, and without a plan for peace.

The Constitution is clear: The power to declare war belongs to Congress. It is paramount that we act when a President abuses their power. I have seen what happens when the world looks away as violence spirals. We cannot be silent. We cannot be complacent.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Minnesota State Representative Erin Koegel, who will retire from the State Legislature at the end of her term.

Rep. Koegel was born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1982, and she grew up in Maple Grove and attended Osseo High School. She graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology and a minor in Political Science. Years later, she continued her education, earning her Master's in Advocacy and Political Leadership.

Her educational background along with her commitment to serving her community primed her for a career in public service. In 2016, Erin was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives to represent District 39A, which now encompasses the cities of Fridley, Columbia Heights, Hilltop, and Spring Lake Park. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Rep. Koegel during my time serving in the Minnesota legislature, and I learned quickly how thoughtful, dedicated, and strategic she is when it comes to positively impacting her constituents' lives.

She has served in multiple leadership roles throughout her tenure in office, including as the Chair of the House Sustainability Infrastructure Policy Committee in 2023, Co-Chair of the House Transportation Committee in 2025, and Co-Chair of the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee in 2026. Rep. Koegel has worked hard to improve the lives of everyday people. She has brought federal investment to Minnesota under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed landmark transportation legislation that invested in roads, bridges, and transit, expanded worker protections for pregnant and breastfeeding Minnesotans, and so much more.

My belief in co-governance is made possible through my colleagues at the state and local level. Rep. Koegel has been a great partner in this work. Her leadership will be missed, but it will leave a lasting impact on the community she served for a decade. Please join me in honoring Representative Erin Koegel for her contributions to Minnesota.

Mr. Speaker, like many Americans, I am outraged by what Trump is doing to the Cuban people.

The oil blockade enacted by the Trump administration is cruel and indefensible. Cuba poses no threat to us, yet we are strangling an entire nation with economic warfare.

Families are going without food. Water systems are failing. Hospitals are struggling to stay open.

These tactics are designed to suffocate an island into submission, and its civilians, ordinary Cuban men, women, and children, are paying the price.

Make no mistake, this unconscionable suffering is occurring because Trump is trying to force regime change.

Across our country and around the world, people are standing in solidarity with the Cuban people. They are calling for dignity for humanity, for an end to this harm.

Hands off Cuba. End the blockade now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act.

I come to this issue both as a legislator and a longtime fan of the sport. At its best, boxing is a sport of courage, discipline, and dignity. For too long, the people who are risking the most have not always been treated with the fairness and respect they deserve.

Congress passed the original Ali Act for a reason: to stop powerful interests from exploiting boxers and denying them control over their careers.

When this bill first came before us, I had significant concerns. That is why I worked hard to make it better. We negotiated in good faith with the majority, and we did make it better.

This bill now includes stronger baseline protections for boxers, including higher pay, better healthcare coverage, and stronger ringside medical protections.

It also includes an amendment that I offered with Representative Stevens to guarantee free agency for boxers, strengthening their economic freedom, and limiting the ability of powerful leagues to control boxers' careers.

I am voting ``yes'' today because boxers deserve those benefits and protections. Let me be clear: This work is not done. We still need stronger financial transparency, stronger antimonopoly provisions, and stronger safeguards against coercive contracts, including forced arbitration clauses.

I support this bill, not because it is perfect, but because we fought hard to make sure it wasn't just a gift to industry.

Boxers put their bodies, their long-term health, and their livelihoods on the line every time they step into the ring. Congress should not ask them to accept more risk with less protection and less economic security.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Senators to keep improving this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the remarkable career and accomplishments of Minneapolis journalist Ed Felien, founder and editor of Southside Pride.

For over 55 years, Mr. Felien worked to encourage civic debate and uplift local voices through community news.

After working as a journalist, college professor, and a Minneapolis city councilmember, Ed started Southside Pride in 1991, a free monthly newspaper publishing community news for the Phillips, Powderhorn, Riverside, and Seward neighborhoods.

For 35 years, Ed and his team have kept Southsiders informed with reliable and informative news covering a breadth of topics, from local events to international conflicts.

While we will miss the reporting, we congratulate Ed and the staff of Southside Pride on their journalistic accomplishments and wish Ed well in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution.

Donald Trump is unilaterally dragging this Nation into an illegal and unjustified war with Iran.

As someone who has survived the horrors of war, I know that bombs do not build peace or create stability. Military strikes will not make us safer. They will inflame tensions and push the region further into chaos.

Every time people abandon diplomacy, they choose destruction. Congress knows who will bear the cost of this decision: innocent civilians caught in the crossfire and young servicemembers sent into harm's way.

The American people are exhausted by endless wars built on false promises and paid for with American and foreign lives.

Congress must reassert its constitutional authority. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' to stop U.S. involvement in another illegal forever war.

Mr. Speaker, two of my constituents, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, beloved neighbors and community members, were murdered by Federal immigration enforcement agents.

These are not distant headlines. These were beloved community members fighting to protect their neighbors.

Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA who cared for veterans. He was a healer, and he should be alive.

Renee Good was a 37-year-old beloved wife, mother, and community member. She should be alive.

Kristi Noem's DHS must be held accountable. We cannot continue to operate as if this terror is acceptable. We cannot allow a Federal agency--one that was created for the purpose of terrorizing--to function as an occupying force in our communities.

Real accountability starts with abolishing ICE, impeaching Kristi Noem, and rethinking how we enforce immigration policy in this country. We cannot stop there. We must demand that those who are responsible for terrorizing our communities are investigated thoroughly, not by the agencies that oversee them but by truly independent authorities.

We have seen Federal agencies block State investigators and stonewall accountability. That is unacceptable. Our system of justice cannot tolerate a situation where people are killed and the only response is silence, spin, or justification from the administration's officials.

Minnesota was once known as a place of refuge. It has now been turned into a war zone by a Federal Government that has lost sight of the values that make America great.

Everything we love--our communities, our rights, our Constitution, and our humanity--is on the line right now. We have to fight like our future depends on it because it does.

Mr. Speaker, instead of holding ICE accountable for their horrific behavior, including their violent occupation of American cities like Minneapolis, Republicans voted on giving ICE billions of dollars to terrorize our communities. It is beyond shameful.

ICE operates with no meaningful oversight and continues to act with impunity, even as it carries out violent operations that have cost lives.

I am sick and tired of seeing Republicans reward a rogue agency that inflicts harm on our communities. Congressional Republicans greenlit sending $400 million more to ICE detention and $370 million more to ICE enforcement. This is on top of the unprecedented $170 billion the agency received in Trump's big, ugly bill.

ICE has tormented our communities. Let's be clear: What we are witnessing from ICE is not law enforcement. It is State-sanctioned violence. A woman was killed by ICE.

Mr. Speaker, our communities deserve safety and justice, not militarized crackdowns and murder.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Meeks for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, may I answer that question for Mr. Meeks?

The answer is that this is not about drugs. This is about regime change. We also have the White House Chief of Staff on record saying that this is about regime change. It has nothing to do with drugs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution. I was proud to co-lead Ranking Member Meeks' effort, and I urge all my colleagues to join us today in reasserting this body's constitutional authority on matters of war and peace.

Let's be perfectly clear: Only Congress has the power to declare war.

The Trump administration's military escalation in the Caribbean is not only reckless, it is blatantly illegal. We cannot allow this kind of dangerous overreach to go unchecked.

Trump, a President who touts himself as a global peacemaker, has appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner in the Western Hemisphere.

His brutal military campaign, which has killed more than 90 people, further threatens a region that has already been destabilized by decades of U.S. interventionism. It risks driving us into further war in Venezuela.

The American people across the political spectrum have been clear that they do not want to fight and fund another war.

With this vote, every Member of Congress has the chance to show the American people where they stand. Will they enable Trump's illegal warmaking, or will they stand on the side of the Constitution?

Mr. Speaker, stand on the side of the Constitution and put an end to this unauthorized use of military force.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to uphold the separation of powers and pass this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Minneapolis Public Schools superintendent, Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams, on her achievement of being named the 2026 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year.

Bringing over 30 years of experience as a teacher, principal, and district leader, Dr. Sayles-Adams is the second Minneapolis school superintendent to win the State honor.

Since stepping into this role, Dr. Sayles-Adams has been committed to working alongside families, faculty, and students to improve our public schools, visiting over 50 schools, and hosting seven community listening sessions.

Under her leadership, Minneapolis Public Schools have been marked by positive change, with community trust and academic performance improving districtwide.

I am incredibly grateful for her dedication to ensuring Minneapolis' children receive the support they need to succeed.